Nikhil Arya-Primetime for this Pune boy!!

Nikhil Arya has undoubtedly made a successful transition from modelling to television. With Kesar on StarPlus and Rabba Ishq Na Hove on Zee, the Pune boy is definitely the flavour of the current season and he's brimming with confidence. SHAGUFTA KALIM finds out more...

Hailing from a business family, how did you get into television?
Well, it sounds a bit clichd, but I was destined to be an actor. I come from Pune and I used to come to Mumbai frequently on business. That's how I met fashion designer Hemant Trivedi, who suggested I give modelling a shot. After that, things just started falling in place and here I am, dominating the prime time and the afternoon slot.

You are relatively a newcomer, so were there any initial butterflies about sharing screen space with established actors like Varun Badola and Sangeeta Ghosh?
Absolutely! I felt jittery as any newcomer would while facing the camera with acclaimed actors. Obviously, I wanted to give it my best shot and going by the reaction I've received, I don't think I've let myself down.

What is special about Rabba Ishq Na Hove?
Well, the most satisfying aspect about Rabba Ishq... is that it's a well-scripted story and very well conceptualised. My role has developed just the way it was narrated to me, not to forget it has a clear time frame and will build up to a climax.

Given a chance, are you willing to swap roles with Varun Badola?
Never! Mine is an author-backed role which rides high on passion and intensity. I consider myself lucky to have gotten the opportunity to portray a character with so many shades right at the beginning of my career.

You are also doing Kesar. Personally which one of the two serials do you enjoy more?
Kesar is a daily soap and falls into a different format. Rabba has its own charm, with its compact and well structured plot. Though my characters are very different from one another, both are emotionally charged roles. While Rudr in Kesar is walking on a razor thin line of emotional instability, in Rabba it's more about relationships and love lost at the altar of ego. The former is scoring high on the popularity ratings while the latter gives me immense creative satisfaction.

What else is in the pipeline for you?
I have been offered some new roles. I am certainly expecting another well-defined role, which will allow me to do full justice to my talent. As for films, I am getting fillers but am waiting for the right one.

How has life changed in the past few months for the Pune boy?
Oh, life seems different now. Recently I bought my own house in Mumbai. It's unbelievable, but I get calls from Pakistan and the UK complimenting me on my performance. Fame and popularity definitely gives you a high, but at the end of the day I am the same guy who wants to work hard and make everyone around me happy.